1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to sensor systems. More specifically, the invention is reconfigurable sensor monitoring system that is readily configured to filter sensor signals from a variety of sensor components prior to sensor signal sampling.
2. Description of the Related Art
Spacecraft avionics typically utilize a sensor avionics box that contains all the sensors and digital interfaces necessary for a complete spacecraft. This sensor subsystem usually has numerous sensors on one card and thus requires dense connectors with multiple contacts. If the mission is complex, a sensor box can have several sensor cards with different configurations for each card. Each external sensor from all over the spacecraft is wired to these sensor box connectors. Recently, some avionics designers have started to miniaturize the sensor electronics.
A major disadvantage of the prior art is that the resulting sensor avionics box is a spacecraft-specific, highly-integrated complex unit that requires a set of support equipment that is usually larger than the avionics box itself. Designers must understand all of the avionics, sensors, and specific applications before they can finish the electronics design. The electronics design is typically matured through the process of preliminary and critical design review cycles that require an extensive amount of time and effort. It is usually incumbent upon the design engineers to write test procedures that verify the functionality of the electronics box. Developing and implementing the testing can be time consuming and very complex. Special test equipment for a sensor electronics box of this type can be as complicated as the avionics box itself. Additionally, the special test equipment requires a significant developing and manufacturing investment. The overall cost associated with a typical sensor avionics box can be well into the millions of dollars for a specific mission. Unfortunately, since each mission's sensor avionics box is specially designed, this costly process gets repeated for every new spacecraft system at the expense of developer time, manpower and money.